New art school opens its doors in Stirlingshire

A new art facility has opened in the grounds of the Oakwood Garden Centre near Killearn, on the edge of the Loch Lomond National Park.

Stirlingshire’s highly-regarded art school art4you has reveals the building.

Established in 2010 by Ewen and Claudia Duncan, art4you Scotland supports and develops artist practice by welcoming people with all levels of art experience; from professional artists to total beginners.

Set up by Glasgow School of Art fine art graduate Ewen and his wife Claudia just under 10 years ago, art4you started as an evening class in a local school before quickly expanding to offer regular art classes at Ballochruin Farm near Balfron Station in 2011.

The new studio – double the size of the previous facility – encompasses two studios and gallery, with high-quality studio lighting and new resources including kiln and relief printing press, along with additional equipment, storage and utilities.

The larger studio will enable new artist practices to be taught, with the first additions due to be ceramic, pottery and printmaking. An events programme will also be developed to make full use of the exhibition space.

Ewen said: ‘We had an amazing few years at Ballochruin Farm, but we were bursting at the seams. Our new home will enable us to do so much more, and help even more students discover their talent and embrace creativity.

‘We’ll have permanent exhibition space as well which is incredibly exciting – being able to showcase what the students are doing, as well as guest artists, will help grow and strengthen the artistic voice of the community.

‘Whatever the level of experience, we welcome everyone as we believe that we are all creative and can all make art.’

Andrew Leitch, capital projects officer at Creative Scotland, added: ‘Creative Scotland is pleased to have helped to support the development of art4you’s new home at Oakwood, which fits well with Creative Scotland’s aspirations for the support of artists and for the development of provision for making, and creating, in Scotland.

‘This new resource will further our aspirations in relation to encouraging engagement with art by creating a unique offer for the area which will make a significant contribution to the creative ecology in the area, benefiting the local creative community and helping to boost the local creative economy.’

Currently, art4you hosts 15 two-hour courses a week in a range of fine art subjects from drawing and painting to calligraphy and sculpture.

The school also hosts weekend workshops and runs a week-long holiday art course once a year.
art4you’s new home at Oakwood opened with a free exhibition of work by former and current students, as well as tutors and local artists on Friday 19 October. The amazing feedback and turn out at the weekend has encouraged the art4you team to keep the exhibition going for another week.

Classes will commence at the new studio from 29 October 2018 and the exhibition will move into the new gallery space. For more information visit www.art4youscotland.co.uk.